From: DHSC
Assessment date: 2 February 2023
Stage: Alpha
Result: Met
Service Provider: NHSE with TPX Impact
Service description
This service aims to solve the problem of providing advice and support to the social care sector on technology and data protection.
In partnership with the NHS Transformation Directorate, DSC supports the digital journey of adult social care providers in England. We believe digital innovation gives us the opportunity to:
- improve the quality of care
- be transparent and accountable
- support individuals to remain independent for longer
- improve the quality and efficiency of information sharing between health and social care
Service users
Primary users:
- people working in care provider organisations (Digital decision makers and influencers)
Secondary users:
- Local Authority commissioning teams (who support providers to offer excellent care)
- Integrated Care Systems (ICS) and Care Quality Commission (CQC) representatives (who support providers to offer excellent care)
- Tech suppliers (who provide services and systems to care providers)
- Department Health and Social Care / NHS England Policy Teams
Report contents
- Understand users and their needs
- Solve a whole problem for users
- Provide a joined-up experience across all channels
- Make the service simple to use
- Make sure everyone can use the service
- Have a multidisciplinary team
- Use agile ways of working
- Iterate and improve frequently
- Create a secure service which protects users’ privacy
- Define what success looks like and publish performance data
- Choose the right tools and technology
- Make new source code open
- Use and contribute to open standards, common components and patterns
- Operate a reliable service
1. Understand users and their needs
Decision
The service met point 1 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team understands the journey their primary target user is on, and this was illustrated well as part of the pack
- there was clear support for the user research team and they felt empowered to do the role
- immediate and extended stakeholders were interested in the user research and this was displayed in the popularity of their show and tells – particularly stakeholders who knew that their content would one day be on the website
- discovery documentation showed that the team had sought to understand the wider context of their user’s lives and used case studies to illustrate the user needs that they had identified
- the team identified their riskiest assumptions and methodically used them to create and test hypotheses
- pain points were identified effectively
- the team recognised that they have difficulties recruiting people in the sector, and know what they are going to do to try and resolve these going forward
- there was effective usability testing of prototypes
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- involve more users who have access needs and who use assistive technology. The team have recognised that this is a gap and with their user group, and it is not a particularly easy hurdle to overcome, but they do have some ideas how to tackle it
- test on a range of devices, as the current testing was based on desktop only – technologically, the website will render on other devices, but does this change the experience for users?
- conduct research with secondary users of the service. This was descoped for Alpha, which is understable, but the team needs to ensure that all user needs are being met during Beta
- provide evidence of further exploration of those outside of the primary focus group, The service is aimed at those who are looking to drive change in their organisation, the Panel would like to see further exploration of those who do not have this responsibility day to day
- ensure that artefacts produced as part of user research, for example the case studies, are shared and used in the relevant audience groups
- understand what the CARE brand and design patterns mean for users and how they add to the experience of the website
2. Solve a whole problem for users
Decision
The service met point 2 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team identified a clear high-level need – for leaders of independent care providers to have a place to get clear, up-to-date guidance about digital transformation
- the team has established that currently no other website meets this high-level user need
- when challenged about the use of CARE branding, the team had a confident response which spoke of a need for social care workers to be recognised as a unique segment – related but separate from the NHS branding. They were able to give specific examples based on user research of why this should be so
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- think deeply about a realistic approach (or approaches) for cutover from old to new service, and test multiple hypotheses for this approach with users
- provide documented evidence to support the use of CARE branding over other established public sector brands, namely NHS and GOV
3. Provide a joined-up experience across all channels
Decision
The service met point 3 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team has examined the wider problem-space surrounding the website, and observed how users are driven to the site via multiple pathways including newsletters, comms events and helpdesk, as well as by search engines
- the team had both focused inwardly ‘how do we create a website’ and also looked outward to see how that site would fit into the environment, what existing painpoints were, and which were a priority to solve
- the team had a great answer to the question “what happens to pain points that are out of scope?” which indicated a healthy connection between policy and service teams. Information that could not be dealt with by the service has been socialised outside the team, so other parts of the organisation could learn from their research and problems could be directed to a more appropriate owner
- the team intend to signpost to external resources where other organisations are meeting specific user needs
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- continue exploring that wider problem space, and applying a service design approach. The next assessment will need to see detail of how the service crosses over with other channels – what is in scope for themselves, in scope for others, and how the relationship between them needs to mature over time
- drill into the relationship with the helpdesk. Identify the teams they will need to work with, understand the problem space, and plan initial activities and engagement
- continue documenting and prioritising painpoints and user needs, communicating knowledge within the organisation and across organisational boundaries
- ensure that the service proposition part of the governance model (for example what this website is here to do and what it is not here to do) is based on user needs, not just policy goals
- consider search engine optimisation as part of their content planning and publishing process because Google is the most common place their users go to find information
4. Make the service simple to use
Decision
The service met point 4 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the work done in Alpha demonstrated a good understanding of GOV and NHS design patterns, and how to put them into practice
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- plan and document user research into approaches for dual running and cutover between the two services
- ensure that user research scope begins before arriving at the service (such as Google) and continues after being signposted. How will they become aware of the service? What needs to be put in place to prepare for the service? Where do they go after they leave?
- consider how the potential continuation of the existing website could impact user journeys. There was a suggestion that the consortium might keep parts of it going after the new website goes live. There is potential for confusion about where to go for what, duplication of effort, and the new service’s unique selling point could be diminished if part of the old service still exists
5. Make sure everyone can use the service
Decision
The service met point 5 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- there is a good understanding of the accessibility standards that the service needed to meet, and plans in place to meet them
- users with low digital skills have been identified as a priority segment for this service, and content is being tested and tailored for them
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- prioritise more research with users who have low digital needs
- create and document a process for incorporating automated and human accessibility testing into each feature of the service, as they are delivered
- commission an accessibility report and address any issues it finds
- carry out user research with users of assistive technology and users with accessibility needs
6. Have a multidisciplinary team
Decision
The service met point 6 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team included all the people and skills needed to conduct the Alpha
- the team was expanded to include roles such as content designer after identifying the need for those roles in Discovery
- the team for Beta will expand again to include other key roles necessary for that phase
- the supplier team has collaborated well with NHS England Transformation Directorate (NHSE-TD) colleagues, and there has been good policy and programme representation and alignment
- the need for knowledge transfer between the supplier team and NHSE-TD has been recognised and acted upon
- NHSE-TD colleagues have clear escalation routes and have been supported from all sides
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- demonstrate that knowledge transfer between the supplier team and NHSE-TD has continued
7. Use agile ways of working
Decision
The service met point 7 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team as a whole (TPXimpact and NHSE-TD colleagues) has followed agile ways of working
- show & tells have been well attended
- findings and reports have been shared widely, for example the Discovery report
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- consider publishing findings and reports (for example as blog posts) to make them more accessible and to increase organisational and sector awareness
- consider whether they need more than 8 weeks for Private Beta and 4 weeks Public Beta given the work that needs to be done around dual running and cutover between the new and existing websites (see section 2)
8. Iterate and improve frequently
Decision
The service met point 8 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the pattern of testing, analysis and iteration was mature and showed that the team could make progressive, evidence-based improvements quickly and efficiently
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- continue iterating and testing content and navigation structures with users, maintaining the same high standards of documentation
9. Create a secure service which protects users’ privacy
Decision
The service met point 9 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team presented a high level technical design and have thought about both the content and the platform security
- the DSC website is pubic facing and does not require users registration, thus there is no requirement to manage personally identifiable information (PII) data of the users accessing the website
- the team have examined and proposed role based access to the backend for the content providers and system administrators
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- consider tracking and monitoring of internal user activity, and raising alerts for any unusal pattern to mitigate against potential internal harm
- ensure regular penetration testing in Beta and Live
- consider how to manage PII data received inadvertent through feedback mechanisms
10. Define what success looks like and publish performance data
Decision
The service met point 10 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team has already identified key performance indicators (KPIs) and considered how to measure them
- the team has the skills necessary to implement Google Analytics, assuming that is the analytics software chosen
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- confirm that Google Analytics is the right analytics software, and if it is not, ensure they have the skills necessary to implement the alternative solution
- choose benchmarks for their KPIs
- consider whether some of the KPIs (in particular 7 and 8) could be measured elsewhere to get a more accurate picture of performance. For example, could there be a field on the data security and protection toolkit (DSPT) asking whether DSC website helped people to complete it?
11. Choose the right tools and technology
Decision
The service met point 11 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team has provided a technical recommendation document that details content management system (CMS) options, including reuse of existing solution. The team also shared high-level features of each CMS considered and criteria used to make the recommendation
- the team has chosen a trusted platform (Acqia)
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- provide a shared responsibility model to ensure all stakeholders understand the role and responsibilities of each team that is supporting this product. This should be in place by the end of Private Beta, and continue through Public Beta and Live
- produce a defined handover plan that incudes team makeup and skills required to support the platform. The handover plan should include any training that may be needed prior to the handover
12. Make new source code open
Decision
The service met point 12 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team has chosen Drupal CMS, an open-source product
- all the code developed around this will be in the open
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- continue developing in the open and document the context around the design and the problem being solved by the software. This is to help other teams re-use the product component parts with minimal or no support from this team
13. Use and contribute to open standards, common components and patterns
Decision
The service met point 13 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the use of Storyboard will allow team to develop features as re-useable components. As these are developed in open, these components will be available for other projects to potentially use them
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- continue to investigate why and whether it is important to have separate branding for adult social care, and communicate any findings to relevant parties, for example the CARE brand team. Consider publishing about this internally or in a blog post to help other service teams understand the reasons for difference, to show how those decisions are informed by research, and to share learnings
- document how they applied the CARE brand so that others can learn from this.
14. Operate a reliable service
Decision
The service met point 14 of the Standard.
What the team has done well
The panel was impressed that:
- the team identified the need for a content governance model for the new website.
- use of Drupal, underpinned by AWS, provides inbuilt capabilities to recover the service in a timely fashion in the event of failure
- the teams have steps in place to spot and stop potential denial of service (DoS) attacks
- the team have thought about the need for monitoring and alerting for unexpected peak load
What the team needs to explore
Before their next assessment, the team needs to:
- have started on a plan for supporting the service in Live that covers technical support, content management and the wider service wrapper, including who is responsible for what and how the different parts work together
- establish and trial a content governance model for producing, maintaining and retiring content that can continue into Public Beta and Live
- ensure that specialist content designers are responsible for publishing and managing content on the new website. Subject matter experts (SMEs) and policy professionals should be involved in its creation and maintenance, but they should not be wholly responsible for it
- document and share the support model and additional context about the design and the problem being solved by the software. This will ensure efficient and smother product support
- regularly test accuracy of internal search results
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